PANJIM: Attempting to give a clean chit to former chief ministers Digambar Kamat and Pratapsingh Rane in the mining scam, the Crime Branch’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) filed a closure report before the North Goa District Sessions Court under C final summary.
Based on SIT’s submission, the court heard the complainant Sudip Tamankar on June 11 and asked him to submit his objection, if any, by July 2. Tamankar strongly condemned SIT’s act and said that he would file the objection. He said, “The SIT has not carried out any investigation in the case and can’t close it like this.”
Based on the complaint by Sudip Tamankar, a social activist, which was supported by valid documentation sourced under the RTI Act, the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) had filed an FIR against former chief ministers Digambar Kamat and Pratapsing Rane in October 2013. Besides Rane and Kamat, former mines directors Arvind Lolienkar and J B Bhingui, former Conservator of Forest Shashi Kumar, NCP leader Praful Hede and other mines officers were also named.
The people named in the FIR were charged under Section 420 (cheating) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of IPS, and various other sections under Prevention of Corruption Act and Mines and Minerals Act, 1957.
The case was later transferred to SIT, an agency specially formed to investigate Goa’s mining-related cases. Police Inspector Uday Naik, attached with the Crime Branch, was investigating the matter.
Both chief ministers were accused of hiding illegalities in Goa’s mining industry when in office. Kamat was chief minister from 2007 – 2012, while Rane held the post on multiple occasions.
Naik said that under Section 22 of the Mines and Minerals Act, they cannot investigate the case and take action. As Tamankar was a private complainant, SIT decided to close the case. However, he said there was another complaint by the director of mines in the same matter, and they were investigating that case as two matters could not be investigated at same time.
Interestingly, Tamankar was first informant in the matter, and in the second case filed by the director of mines, no former chief minister is named except NCP leader Praful Hede.
